How to Handle Tenants Property Maintenance Requests as a Property Manager

Jayson Walla

As a property manager, managing a rental property comes with its fair share of maintenance troubles. From sudden gas leaks, bad locks, to a leaking roof, the maintenance issues faced in a rental property can be overwhelming. One thing every seasoned property manager understands is that tenants’ satisfaction is key to excellent tenant retention rates. A unique way to improve your tenant satisfaction is by proactively handling tenant requests when they come in. Below are three ways to manage your tenant's property maintenance requests as a property manager.

Act Fast

Aside from the fact that tenants' satisfaction is dependent on your response to their increased maintenance requests, responding on time helps you save money and your property from further depreciation. Have a list of reliable vendors (handyman and contractors) that you can reach out at the quickest time possible. You can try Keepe to connect you with a reliable handymen for your rental property maintenance issues.

Communicate

As soon as you receive the maintenance request, communicate not just with the vendor but with the tenants about the work progress. You can find out more details about the problem history and the progress made by the vendor. Reach out to the tenant via calls or emails to inform them about the moves you are making, what is required of them, or even address their complaints in an orderly manner if there is a delay from the handyman’s end. You can ask questions such as:

When did the issue start?

Has it happened before?

How is the maintenance issue affecting your day-to-day activities within your apartment?

You can go as far as sending them the vendor information to help them speak directly or share relevant information to help solve the issue promptly. In today's world, Property managers are digitalizing how they handle tenants' property maintenance requests. This helps to keep the parties involved in the loop about the progress made and any changes to the request.

Follow-Up

As a property manager, handling maintenance requests goes beyond finding a reputable vendor or communicating during the repair period. It involves reaching out to the tenant after the repairs have been carried out. Find out from your tenants about their post-maintenance repair experience and how you can be of help next time. You can send out a brief online feedback experience form or schedule a quick phone call if you love being personal with your tenants. A great set of follow-up questions to ask after a maintenance episode with tenants are:

What is the present state of the issue?

Are you satisfied with the changes or repairs carried out by the handyman?

Are there any extra costs you may want to relay back to us that you may have spent?

By doing the above, you're not only improving your relationship with your tenants but gathering further information for future occurrences.

In conclusion,

Managing a rental property as a property manager requires you to be proactive, predictive, and an excellent communicator. Tenants are impatient and want quality services that match the rent they pay. If you are looking to increase tenant retention and satisfaction rates, you will need to improve on how you handle tenants maintenance requests.